Waste-Less Wednesday: Fava Leaves, Hold the Chianti

Fava Leaf and Spinach Salad with Orange, Smoked Mozzarella, and Toasted Pecans

Waste-Less Wednesday posts are all about ways to reduce or eliminate food waste, particularly at home. Most of the posts to date have focused on creative ideas for using more of the food that comes into your kitchen, especially fruits and vegetables. We’ve looked at ways to repurpose carrot greens, enjoy a glut of backyard citrus, and even a savory way to use up too much homemade peanut butter.

Reducing food waste at home means getting creative and thinking outside our standard diet choices. Whether you simply love food, consider yourself a food geek, or are even just a tiny bit adventurous when it comes to trying new recipes, the experience can be a lot of fun!

But there are other points in the food chain where we, as consumers — as eaters — can help reduce food waste in our local food system. Again, it goes back to rethinking what and how we eat. If you shop farmers’ markets or get a weekly CSA box, these are great sources for test-driving new foods. I’m seeing some creative ways that farmers are reducing food waste from field to market by selling whole plants (e.g., carrots with greens attached) or assorted greens that extend beyond a few kinds of lettuce. Case in point: fava leaves from Happy Boy Farms, available by the bag at the Saturday San Mateo Farmer’s Market.

Fresh fava leaves from the San Mateo Farmers' Market
Fresh fava leaves from the San Mateo Farmers’ Market

Fava leaves grow at the top of a fava bean plant, are 2½-3 inches long with pointed ends, dark-green in color, and velvety soft to the touch. Available mid-to-late spring, they’re not only edible, but are a surprising delight.

Texture-wise, fava leaves are a bit sturdier than spinach, and yet they seem more delicate. Inhaling their scent is like smelling a stash of freshly picked beans from a grassy field. And the flavor? Fresh, uncooked leaves taste sweet and herbaceous, with a slight hint of bitterness. Cooking the greens brings out their sweetness, along with a delicately nutty flavor component.

So once you get your bag of fresh fava leaves home, what can you do with them? Just about anything that you would do with spinach: create a salad, add to egg dishes and pastas, top bruschettas and pizzas. Where to start when pairing fava leaves with other flavors? Think Mediterranean. Some suggestions to mix and match:

  • Citrus: Lemon, grapefruit, or orange
  • Olive oil
  • Garlic
  • Herbs: Mint, Thyme, or Dill
  • Pepper: Black pepper, Crushed red pepper
  • Soft or crumbly white cheeses: ricotta, goat, feta
  • Hard cheeses: aged manchego, pecorino, parmesan

Following are some suggested dishes for fava leaves. Hopefully they’ll inspire you with ideas for creating your own dishes, made to your taste. As always, feel free to make adjustments for your diet and palate. If you want to 86 the cheese, replace oranges with grapefruits, or add some sriracha, do it!

Salad: Fava Leaf and Spinach Salad with Orange, Smoked Mozzarella, and Toasted Pecans
For a little leaf variety in your salad, consider pairing fava leaves and spinach. The textures are just different enough to create interest, and the leaf flavors work well together. Dress the leaves with olive oil and a squeeze of Meyer lemon juice, then season lightly with sea salt and fresh ground pepper.

Fava Leaf and Spinach Salad with Orange, Smoked Mozzarella, and Toasted Pecans
Fava Leaf and Spinach Salad with Orange, Smoked Mozzarella, and Toasted Pecans

Top with orange segments, toasted pecan pieces, and ½-inch chunks of smoked mozzarella. (Want to make it vegan? Substitute smoked tofu for the mozzarella.) The combo of herbaceous leaves with the sweetness of the orange and slight smokiness of the cheese is craveable. Toasted pecans add just the right amount of crunch to balance the soft cheese and leaves.

Switch it up: Substitute ruby grapefruit pieces for oranges, toasted cashews or pepitas for pecans, and goat cheese for smoked mozzarella.

Pasta: Soba Noodles with Fava Leaves, Hot-Smoked Salmon, and Preserved Lemon
Soba noodles are so versatile; they’re my go-to pasta! (Plus, the cooking time is super short: 4 minutes.) They’re sturdy enough to stand up to most “toppings,” and the flavorful earthiness dances well with so many partners — from sweet to salty to smokey, with a dash of umami thrown in.

Soba Noodles with Fava Leaves, Hot Smoked Salmon, and Preserved Lemon
Soba Noodles with Fava Leaves, Hot Smoked Salmon, and Preserved Lemon

For each serving of this dish, toss soba noodles with chiffonade fava leaves, olive oil, salt, and pepper, and matchsticks of perserved lemon rind (thinly slice the rind of approximately 1 preserved lemon wedge). Top with about 2 ounces of hot-smoked salmon. Finish it off with a sprinkling of fresh thyme and a grating of hard cheese, such as aged manchego or asiago.

Note: Serve this dish should at room temperature or slightly cool. I assembled it by pulling all ingredients from the refrigerator — including leftover soba noodles. If you’re making the noodles the same day that you make this dish, be sure to rinse the noodles in cold water until cool.

Switch it up: Substitute fresh, grilled salmon for the hot-smoked salmon — or try cold-smoked salmon. Make it vegan by substituting tofu or roasted cauliflower for the salmon (and 86 the cheese). Substitute goat cheese for hard, grated cheese.

Brunch: Poached Egg and Sautéed Fava Greens on Toast with Feta
Sauteing fava greens softens them a bit, accents the sweetness, and brings out a slightly nutty flavor component. Because fava leaves are sturdier than spinach, they don’t wilt as much when heated, providing a nice nest for your poached egg.

Put an egg on it: Poached Egg and Sautéed Fava Greens on Toast with Feta
Put an egg on it: Poached Egg and Sautéed Fava Greens on Toast with Feta

To prepare this quick-and-easy dish, chiffonade 1½ cups of fava leaves and saute them in 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium-high heat for several minutes until wilted (seriously, 2-3 minutes oughta do it). Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, make the poached egg and toast a sturdy piece of bread (go for a rustic sourdough or spelt bread). Brush the toast with olive oil, then top with the sautéed fava leaves, then the poached egg. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese, crushed red pepper, and a sprinkling of fresh thyme.

Switch it up: Substitute sriracha for the crushed red pepper (squeeze small dollops on the plate or the egg). Replace feta with goat cheese.

Have you tried fava leaves? How do you prepare them? Share your ideas in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

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